Re the Robert Scheer column on May 16 about President Obama as the “brainy Democrat … succeeded in killing Osama bin Laden … where (Bush) ..failed so miserably” was laughable.

The plan began under the Bush administration. It is naive and disingenuous to even think that Obama deserves the credit for this operation that began years ago. At that time liberals screamed about the Patriot Act as unconstitutional, about closing Guantanamo, about the so-called torture (water-boarding) of terrorists, the trying of terrorists in the U.S. so they can have rights. All of those screams were about sound political and legal actions in response to the slaughter of 3,000 human beings in New York and Washington in 2001, plus all of the earlier killings in U.S. embassies in Africa and the Middle East.

The only thing Obama did was to give the “go-ahead”; he had nothing to do with or was instrumental in the planning with the Navy SEALs until they were ready to complete their mission.

All of those screams by liberals such as Obama years ago were about things that led to the crucial information about who the couriers were and where they went. That led to the success of the Navy SEALs in Pakistan. The only reason he decided to go along with the execution plan was because he knew he had gone down in the polls. This doesn’t make up for the incompetence and failure of his presidency. If Libya gets rid of Gadhafi is Obama going to take the credit for this, too, because he said the Libyan tyrant “has to go.”

We have lost credibility and prestige around the world.

Obama’s arrogance, incompetence, ignorance and inexperience has this great nation in ruins. Our growing national debt is higher under this man than all of the presidents since Washington combined. What’s the solution? Tax with ever higher taxes?

Virginia Karsch

South Pasadena

Teach children well

There was another great column by Shirlee Smith last month. It was the one about Easter bunnies and what a bad idea it is to purchase these little animals.

Smith covered all the pitfalls well. She also talked about just plain caring and lessons learned by children but sadly at the expense of an animal’s life.

There is a great story in my file about Lima, Ohio’s Hospital for the Criminally Insane from many years ago. Seems someone thought these inmates needed to connect with a living being. So carefully they started with a fish tank. They were cautious, eventually allowing for small animals which the inmates came to love and care for.

One day a fight broke out and the only thing standing was the fish tank as these violent and sick people shielded the fish within.

Lessons are learned in our first encounters with animals; lessons that translate to all living beings. Teach your children well. And thanks to Shirlee Smith for reminding us.